Recruiting: Lincoln's Devell Jones commits to Monmouth University

Heading into his senior season, Lincoln standout running back Devell Jones wants his sole focus to be on helping his team make a deep run in the state playoffs. He doesn’t want to worry about recruiting.

And on Tuesday night, the 5-11, 200-pound back decided to end the process.

“I committed to Monmouth University,” Jones told NJ Advance Media. “It was all about getting all the pressure behind me. I went from not knowing if I could play D-1 ball to having this great opportunity in front of me.

“I talked it over with my parents, friends and other members of my family and it seemed like the right choice. I know I’ll have to go up there and play with a chip on my shoulder.”

Monmouth was the lone offer for the Jersey City product, but he said he was receiving interest from Syracuse, Temple, Coastal Carolina and Iowa State. Monmouth offered shortly after a team camp in mid-July.

“When I went down there to visit, the coaches really made it feel like the place to be,” Jones said. “It’s a good fit for me because of their offense and their style of play. It just seemed like a perfect fit and I felt like I didn’t need to wait any longer to make a decision.”

Jones finished with 1,325 yards and 16 touchdowns last season, earning him First-Team All-Hudson County honors and All-Group 2 Second-Team honors. He’s also 1,100 yards away from breaking Lincoln’s all-time leading rushing record of 3,444 yards, which was set by Ty Stevens in 2010.

“Devell is a beautiful runner with a blend of speed, power and agility,” Lincoln head coach Robert Hampton said. “He has a great personality and is the ultimate team player.”